Olive Garden Archives - The Midnight Baker

Cheese Stuffed Chicken in White Wine Sauce

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 25 Jan 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Cheese Stuffed Chicken in White Wine Cream Sauce

Juicy chicken breasts stuffed with a gooey and garlicky cheese filling. Top it all off with a creamy wine sauce!

This is a slight re-working of an Olive Garden recipe I saw and knew I’d like with a few minor adjustments.

Their sauce used Marsala wine. I saw this sauce lighter–in color and flavor which is why I used sauvignon blanc (what I had handy). I also used more cream, less onion and less mushrooms–there seemed to be far too much in their sauce. So much so, it would have overwhelmed the flavor IMO.

Oozing with creamy cheese

I like garlic, so I increased the amount. It really adds so much to the cheese filling. If you aren’t as passionate about garlic, cut the amount in half that I give here.

Strange as it sounds, I didn’t use asiago in the one I made for the photos. What happened was I just bought some absolutely fabulous picante provolone (Boar’s Head Brand), and the flavor and texture was so exquisite, I knew it would go well in here.

Now if you can’t find a nice pungent (meaning it SMELLS) provolone, use the asiago. Some provolones are so mild, it’s difficult to tell it from mozzarella–you don’t want that variety. I can recommend this Boar’s Head or Bel Gioso–they’re the “robust” ones.

Despite the steps, this is a relatively easy and quick dinner–it takes less than one hour and it’s very gourmet. You’re getting restaurant-quality food from your own kitchen.

Easy and ready in less than an hour

Olive Garden recommends garlic mashed potatoes as a side and I have to say, that’s a great choice–and here’s one of the best recipes for Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

Enjoy!

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Cheese Stuffed Chicken in White Wine Sauce

Juicy chicken breasts stuffed with a gooey and garlicky cheese filling. Top it all off with a creamy wine sauce!

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Chicken

Cuisine: American

Keyword: stuffed chicken

Servings: 4

Calories: 573kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

CHEESE FILLING

1/4 cup shredded sharp provolone or asiago
1 cup shredded mozzarella
2 tbsp grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
2 green onions thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic minced
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
2 tbsp finely diced sun dried tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

WINE SAUCE

1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
Mix the flour, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper on a plate. Set aside.
Butterfly chicken breasts. Here's a good video if you don't know how:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqjfQP3Mp2k
Pound each butterflied breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap using a meat mallet to 1/4-1/2-inch thickness. Set aside.
Mix all filling ingredients together in a large bowl; stir well to combine. Divide the filling into 4 equal balls.
Lay chicken breast on a plate. Place a ball of the cheese filling on one "wing" of the chicken breast (butterflied chicken breast will have 2 "wings" like a butterfly). Flatten the cheese filling into a shape like a hockey puck. Fold the other "wing" over the filling--it's not necessary to seal. Repeat for other chicken breasts.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and heat until the oil shimmers.
Dredge each chicken breast in the season flour; place chicken breast in hot skillet and brown well on each side--you may have to brown in shifts. Don't wash the pan--you will use this to make the sauce and you want the chicken "drippings" for flavor.
Place chicken in prepared baking dish.
Bake for 20-30 minutes (or until internal temp is 165 degrees F or juices run clear). While the chicken bakes, prepare the sauce.
To make sauce, heat the same skillet you browned the chicken in over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute another 5 minutes.
Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up all the browned bits from the chicken. Add the cream and simmer over medium-low heat until sauce is reduced by 50% (this should take 5-10 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon over chicken.

Nutrition

Cheese Stuffed Chicken in White Wine Sauce

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Shrimp Caprese Pasta

Judith Hannemann — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 23:00:00 +0000

Shrimp Caprese Pasta

This delicate alfredo-style pasta will use some of that bumper crop of tomatoes from your garden! Add grilled shrimp and you get this wonderful Shrimp Caprese dinner! Just like Olive Garden!

Love Olive Garden?

This is one of my favorite summer dinners! It takes a minimum of prep and it’s very quick to make. Even though there are a couple of steps that have to be completed almost at the same time, I still call it an “easy dinner.”

I grow a HUGE herb garden in the summer so I’m always dying to use the nice fresh herbs I can go out and pick as I need them. Most folks grow tomatoes too–I didn’t this year–but even if you don’t, we all know someone who does and we usually end up with some. But you can use store bought here, but just make sure to use a very flavorful variety.

The original recipe calls for Roma (plum) tomatoes which taste pretty much OK store bought, but there are much better varieties! I used Campari in this, but another great choice would be the Kumatoes, which are bursting with flavor! Even grape or cherry will do you.

Use your garden’s bounty

Everything At Once

Even though it seems that you must cook the shrimp at the same time you’re cooking the sauce AND the pasta, it really doesn’t go that way! The sauce will take the longest to “cook” so I usually have my pot of water simmering for the pasta at the same time, so when I reduce the heat to simmer the sauce, in goes the pasta then I go out to grill the shrimp. It all seems to come together rather nicely as they’re all done at the same time! On a hot grill or broiler, the shrimp should only take about 5 minutes to cook. You can use pre-cooked, but I find they lack flavor that the grilling/broiling imparts.

Yes, this is rich!! No, don’t substitute milk…it won’t thicken. I wouldn’t suppose this would be a weekly thing anyway with the cost of shrimp, so just put this one down to a guilty pleasure you eat just a couple of times a year!

The Recipe

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Shrimp Caprese Pasta

This delicate alfredo-style pasta will use some of that bumper crop of tomatoes from your garden! Add grilled shrimp and you get this wonderful Shrimp Caprese dinner! Just like Olive Garden!

Prep Time1

Cook Time20

Total Time1 20

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: pasta, shrimp

Servings: 2 -3

Calories: 1755kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

8 oz angel hair pasta uncooked
1 cup shredded or finely diced mozzarella
8 oz cooked shrimp*

MARINATED TOMATOES

3-4 campari or roma tomatoes
2-3 large fresh basil leaves roughly chopped -OR- 1/2 tsp dehydrated
1 tsp fresh oregano chopped -OR- 1/4 tsp dehydrated
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 tsp salt

PASTA SAUCE

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded asiago cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper black will do in a pinch

Instructions

*I grill my shrimp, but you may broil or boil. You can even use pre-cooked (I don't recommend it though. Grilling and broiling produce superior flavor. I used large (21-25 ct/lb) shrimp. I generally will grill them while the sauce is reducing and the pasta is cooking, but whatever method is best for you is the key.
For Marinated Tomatoes--remove pulp and seeds from tomatoes and roughly dice. Place in a small bowl and add the remaining ingredients; stir. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
For Sauce--Heat a large, deep skillet or saute pan over medium heat.
Melt butter and add the wine. Bring to a boil. Stir in cheeses, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until sauce is reduced to your desired consistency--mine was the consistence of a thin white sauce and I reduced for about 8 minutes. If you want it thicker, reduce for longer.
While sauce is reducing, cook pasta. The way I prepare very thin pasta such as angel hair is, I bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the angel hair, stir, cover and shut OFF the heat. It should take about 3-5 minutes to cook, depending on how al dente you want it. Drain very well.
Add the drained pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat well.
Remove pasta to serving plate and top with marinated tomatoes, mozzarella and grilled shrimp.

Nutrition

Shrimp Caprese Pasta

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Steak Gorgonzola with Spinach Alfredo

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 23:00:00 +0000

Copycat Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo

Copycat of the famous Olive Garden Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo–with a radically different steak marinade.

Just Like The Restaurant

Basically, I’m a fuss-free and low (well, maybe NO) maintenance person by and large, but sometimes if I like something enough that I’ve eaten, I will go to a bit of trouble.

Sure, this recipe is not complicated at all, but there are a few steps to take to make it. Trust me, it’s worth it.

Rich and creamy, just like the restaurant

Birthday Dinner Surprise

I first tasted this about 10 years ago on my first visit to Olive Garden. My neighbor and I took another neighbor out for her birthday and the birthday gal requested Olive Garden. We all ordered different things, and naturally we had a taste of each other’s meal. Karen had ordered this and it was SUPERB! I was sorry I didn’t order it. Later in the week, I searched to see if I could find a copycat and I did. Made it, but didn’t care for the marinade. That called for about a cup of Italian dressing and a teaspoon of rosemary. First of all, it didn’t taste much like what I ate earlier in the week, plus I don’t care for Italian dressing or too much rosemary.

The restaurant steak had a slight hint of rosemary but it didn’t hit you over the head with being strong. Plus, I tasted citrusy undertones, so I experimented and came up with my version of the marinade.

The alfredo sauce is just my usual, very rich and very calorie-packed sauce (is there any other way to make this but calorie packed??? LOL). In fact, you can double the batch of this, omitting the spinach, gorgonzola & sun-dried tomatoes, then it’s just a plain alfredo sauce that can be put in the fridge and used as needed (I wouldn’t store it for more than 3-4 weeks personally).

Of course if you are pressed for time, feel free to substitute any jarred version of alfredo sauce from the supermarket–but a good quality one. I tried a house brand and it was, well…AWFUL.

Simply delicious and not diet!

I’ve made the balsamic glaze optional just in case you don’t want to fuss with it or it’s not available at your local grocery. I made this because where I live, no one appears to be that fancy LOL, but it IS a pain to make. The only consolation is if you make a batch, it lasts a looooong time. I’d advise the use of a simmer mat if you make it, otherwise, keep the heat very low under it, and stir, stir, stir. There is a huge improvement in the taste of this dish when using the glaze, so if you can’t find it, don’t want to make it, it’s readily available at the link I list below in the recipe.

The Recipe

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Steak Gorgonzola with Spinach Alfredo

Copycat of the famous Olive Garden Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo–with a radically different steak marinade.

Prep Time1 30

Cook Time20

Total Time1 50

Course: beef, Dinner, pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Alfredo sauce, spinach, steak recipe

Servings: 4

Calories: 860kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 lb sirloin steak
8 oz fettucine pasta

MARINADE

2 cloves garlic crushed
1/2 tsp rosemary crushed
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

RICH ALFREDO SAUCE

3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated romano cheese
3 egg yolks
2-3 tbsp crumbled gorgonzola or blue cheese
2 cups shredded fresh baby spinach
3 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes
salt & pepper to taste

GARNISH

2 tbsp crumbled gorgonzola or blue cheese
1/4 cup balsamic glaze* optional

Instructions

*Balsamic glaze can be made by VERY slowly simmering about 1 cup balsamic vinegar until it is so reduced, it's got a syrupy consistency. Upfront I'll tell you it's a PAIN to make, but fortunately, you can buy it pre-made in a well-stocked supermarket or gourmet store.
Trim fat from sirloin steak. Cut steak into strips about 1-inch wide and 3-inches long. Place steak in a large zipper plastic bag.
Mix marinade ingredients and pour over steak in bag. Seal bag and "mush" the marinade and steak together. Place in refrigerator for 1-3 hours.
After steak has marinated, preheat your broiler or outside grill on high. Grill steak to desired doneness. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm. I do this in a very low--200 degrees F--oven.
Cook fettucine as per package directions. When done, drain.
Meanwhile, prepare alfredo sauce by heating the milk and cream in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Mix in the cheeses. DO NOT LET THIS BOIL. Whisk egg yolks well in a separate bowl. Pour about 1 cup of the cream/cheese mixture into the egg yolks, whisking while pouring. This is called "tempering" so the eggs don't form a clump when adding it to the sauce. Pour the tempered egg/sauce mixture back in the saucepan while whisking. Continue to whisk over medium-low heat until sauce begins to thicken. This will be anywhere from 3-5 minutes. Add the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir well, cover and remove from heat.
In a large bowl, combine the hot cooked fettucine with the sauce and toss well.
Plate and top each plate with 1/4 of the steak strips. Drizzle with balsamic glaze if using. Put crumbled gorgonzola on top of steak.

Nutrition

Copycat Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo

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